Correct printing indicator

ABSTRACT

The correct printing of both faces of a folded sheet is indicated by an opening formed in a printed region of an obverse panel visible when the sheet is folded, and a registering, inked region of a reverse panel of the sheet visible through the opening when the sheet is folded. Incorrect printing or absence of printing on the reverse face of the sheet is indicated by blank paper visible through the opening. The inventive indicator is particularly significant for printed drug information sheets.

United States Patent Russell, deceased [451' Mar. 21, 1972 [54] CORRECT PRINTING INDICATOR [72] Inventor: Richard Douglas Russell, deceased, late of 314 East Avenue, Newark, NY. 14513 by Ada Gwennola Russell, administratrix [22] Filed: Oct. 17, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 867,425

[52] U.S.Cl ..1l6/l14,93/84, 281/5, 283/35, 283/62 [51] Int. Cl. ..GOld 21/00 [58] Field of Search ..1 16/1 17; 281/5, 43; 283/35, 283/62, 63, 36-41; 93/84 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,103,139 12/1937 Burgquist ..283/35 2,118,964 5/1938 Bonnaire ..281/5 2,179,172 11/1939 Bonnaire ..283/62 2,637,571 5/1953 Tilly ..281/5 Primary ExaminerLouis J Capozi 57 ABSTRACT The correct printing of both faces of a folded sheet is indicated by an opening formed in a printed region of an obverse panel visible when the sheet is folded, and a registering, inked region of a reverse panel of the sheet visible through the opening when the sheet is folded. Incorrect printing or absence of printing on the reverse face of the sheet is indicated by blank paper visible through the opening. The inventive indicator is particularly significant for printed drug information sheets.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED MAR 21 I972 FIG- 3 FIG-4 CORRECT PRINTING INDICATOR TI-IE INVENTIVE IMPROVEMENT Package inserts containing technical information are required for many pharmaceutical products by the Federal Food and Drug Administration. Such inserts are customarily formed as sheets printed on both sides and folded several times to a shape suitable for insertion in the pharmaceutical package. Any incorrect printing of such sheets has to be reported to the Food & Drug Administration, and this agency can require a complete examination of the pharmaceutical stock in question to make sure that no packages reach the market lacking full information sheets. Hence, a printing error such as failure to print the reverse face of such a sheet, or an incorrect printing, can have costly consequences even though it is an error that is not readily noticed when the sheets are printed and folded automatically.

The invention provides a simple way to indicate a printing error such as failure to print the reverse face of a folded sheet, and the invention aims at reliability, simplicity, and economy in indicating such a printing error.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The inventive indicator applies to a sheet printed on both its obverse and reverse faces and folded into a plurality of panels with an obverse one of the panels outermost and visible in finished condition and a reverse one of the panels disposed in registry behind such obverse panel to face in the same direction as such obverse panel. A portion of the material of the sheet is removed from the obverse panel to form an opening, and the region adjacent to and surrounding the opening is printed with ink. The registering reverse panel is normally printed with ink in a region registering with the opening so that ink in the obverse panel region matches ink in the portion of the reverse panel that is visible through the opening. Any failure to print the reverse face of the sheet is then visible as a blank spot in the opening, and any failure to print the obverse face, or a wrong printing, is plainly visible from outside the folded sheet.

DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of the inventive indicator as applied to a technical information sheet folded for insertion into a pharmaceutical package;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sheet of FIG. 1 partially unfolded; I

FIG. 3 is an end view of the sheet of FIG. 2 showing its fold- FIG. 4 shows a fragment of the indicator of FIG. 1 indicating lack of printing of the reverse face of the sheet; and

FIG. 5 shows a partially cutaway, fragmentary view of the sheet of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Sheet of the drawings is intended as a folded technical information sheet for pharmaceutical packages-but it can be any folded sheet printed on both sides and sufficiently important to warrant a visual indication that both sides of the sheet have been properly printed.

Sheet 10 in the finished condition illustrated in FIG. 1 is folded into a plurality of panels and ready for insertion into a package. An obverse panel 11 faces outward toward the viewed side of sheet 10, and on the opposite side of top fold line 13 another obverse panel 12 faces outward. An obverse panel 14 faces inward and confronts another obverse panel 15. A fold line 16 separates panels 11 and 15, and a fold line 17 separates panel 12 and 14. The panels and folds are further illustrated in FIG. 2 which shows the finished sheet 10 of FIG. 1 flattened out on top fold 13, and opened along fold line 16 and 17 to show obverse panels ll, 12, 14 and IS.

A hole 20 of punched along the marginal edge of sheet 10 to remove material from obverse panels 11 and 15 on opposite sides of fold line 16. Hole 20 forms an opening through'which underlying panels are visible, and it is preferably placed a straddle fold line 16 so that portions of hole 20 are visible from the panel 1 1 side and the panel 15 side of sheet 10. A region 21 adjacent to and surrounding hole 20 is printed throughout with ink. This is indicated in the drawings by shading for the color blue, but the ink on region 21 can'be black or any desired color.

Sheet 10 is folded as best illustrated in FIG. 3 so that reverse face panels 22 and 23 underlie obverse panels 11 and 15 respectively and face in the same outward orientation as obverse panels 11 and 15. A fold line 24 separates panels 22 and 23, and an ink region 25 is formed along the margin of sheet 10 to extend over fold line 24 and onto panels 22 and 23 so as to underlie and register with region 21. The ink on region 25 is then visible in hole 20, and region 25 is preferably printed with the same color ink as region 21 so that the appearance of even inking is unbroken throughout region 21 in spite of hole 20.

If the rear face of sheet 10 is normally printed and oriented, then region 25 is also printed so that when sheet 10 is automatically folded as shown in the drawings, an ink region 25 appears in hole 20 to indicate correct printing. If the rear face of sheet 10 is not printed or is printed upside down, then, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the area 27 in hole 20-of the folded sheet is blank to give a readily visible indication that the printing is amiss. This can be seen without unfolding sheet '10 so that inspection is simplified, and the chances for errors are reduced.

A printed sheet according to the invention can be folded in innumerable ways to bring a reverse panel to a position underlying an obverse face panel in the finished condition of the sheet. Also, hole 20 can be positioned in many places on sheet 10 and can have many different shapes, including a notch opening onto the edge of the sheet.

Persons wishing to practice the invention should remember that other embodiments and variations can be adapted to particular circumstances. Even though one point of view is necessarily chosen in describing and defining the invention, this should not inhibit broader or related embodiments going beyond the semantic orientation of this application but falling within the spirit of the invention. For example, different folds, different ink colors, ink regions and different-shaped openings placed in different positions can be used within the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A correct printing indicator comprising:

a. a sheet printed on both its obverse and reverse faces;

b. said sheet being folded into a plurality of panels in finished condition;

c. an obverse one of said panels being outermost and visible in said finished condition;

d. a reverse one of said panels being disposed in registry behind said one obverse panel to face in the same direction as said one obverse panel;

e. a portion of the material of said sheet being removed from said one obverse panel to form an opening; said one obverse panel being printed with ink throughout a region adjacent to and surrounding said opening; and

g. said one reverse panel being normally printed with said ink throughout a region registering with said opening so ink in said obverse panel region matches said ink in the portion of said reverse panel region visible through said opening.

2. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said opening is formed as a punched hole.

3. The indicator of claim I wherein said opening is formed in the region of the margin of said sheet.

4. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said opening straddles a fold line at one edge of said one obverse panel.

5. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said sheet is a technical information sheet for pharmaceutical packages.

6. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said opening is formed as a punched hole in the region of the margin of said sheet and straddling a fold line at one edge of said one obverse panel.

7. The indicator of claim 6 wherein said sheet is a technical information sheet for pharmaceutical packages. 

1. A correct printing indicator comprising: a. a sheet printed on both its obverse and reverse faces; b. said sheet being folded into a plurality of panels in finished condition; c. an obverse one of said panels being outermost and visible in said finished condition; d. a reverse one of said panels being disposed in registry behind said one obverse panel to face in the same direction as said one obverse panel; e. a portion of the material of said sheet being removed from said one obverse panel to form an opening; f. said one obverse panel being printed with ink throughout a region adjacent to and surrounding said opening; and g. said one reverse panel being normally printed with said ink throughout a region registering with said opening so ink in said obverse panel region matches said ink in the portion of said reverse panel region visible through said opening.
 2. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said opening is formed as a punched hole.
 3. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said opening is formed in the region of the margin of said sheet.
 4. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said opening straddles a fold line at one edge of said one obverse panel.
 5. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said sheet is a technical information sheet for pharmaceutical packages.
 6. The indicator of claim 1 wherein said opening is formed as a punched hole in the region of the margin of said sheet and straddling a fold line at one edge of said one obverse panel.
 7. The indicator of claim 6 wherein said sheet is a technical information sheet for pharmaceutical packages. 